Former UFC champ Adesanya pleads guilty to drunk driving

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The hits just keep coming for Israel Adesanya.

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The former UFC middleweight champion pleaded guilty to drunk driving in a New Zealand court on Monday morning and could face up to three months in jail or a fine, according to the New Zealand Herald.

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The incident happened on Aug. 19 and Adesanya was driving with 87 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, his team told ESPN. The legal limit in the country is 50 mg/100 ml.

According to reports, Adesanya was stopped at a “random breath testing unit,” while driving home from a dinner with friends.

“I want to apologize to the community, my family and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at a dinner,” Adesanya said in a statement provided to ESPN. “I am disappointed with my decision to drive, it was wrong. I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable.”

The Nigeria-born fighter, who now lives in New Zealand, has a sentencing hearing set for Jan. 10, 2024.

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Adesanya, who has been one of the top UFC fighters in recent years, lost his middleweight championship at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia, to Sean Strickland via a unanimous decision.

It was Adesanya’s second loss in a year, having dropped his championship to Alex Pereira last November and regaining it in a rematch earlier this year.